"What, To a Slave, is the Fourth of July?"

Question

by Frederick Douglass

But, I submit, where all is plain there is nothing to be argued. What point in the anti-slavery creed would you have me argue? On what branch of the subject do the people of this country need light? Must I undertake to prove that the slave is a man? That point is conceded already. Nobody doubts it.

What, to a Slave, is the Fourth of July?

"Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address"
by Abraham Lincoln

"With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan ~ to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Question
Use the passages to answer the question.

Which statement best compares the rhetorical devices used in the passages?

(1 point)
Responses

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July employs juxtaposition and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural uses allusion.
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July employs juxtaposition and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural uses allusion.

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July employs parallelism and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural uses hypophora.
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July employs parallelism and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural uses hypophora.

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July employs rhetorical questions and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural uses anaphora.
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July employs rhetorical questions and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural uses anaphora.

What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July employs antithesis and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural uses juxtaposition.
What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July employs antithesis and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural uses juxtaposition.

Answer 1

To compare the rhetorical devices used in the passages, the following analysis can be applied:

1. Frederick Douglass's "What, To a Slave, is the Fourth of July?":

   • Douglass employs rhetorical questions to provoke thought and emphasize the disparity between the declared freedom of the nation and the reality experienced by slaves. His question, "What, to a Slave, is the Fourth of July?" serves to challenge the audience's understanding and encourages reflection on systemic injustice.

2. Abraham Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address":

   • Lincoln utilizes anaphora, which is the repetition of a phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, particularly with "with malice toward none, with charity for all." This technique reinforces his message of unity and reconciliation, underscoring the tone of compassion necessary for healing the nation.

Given this analysis, the best option to compare the rhetorical devices used in the passages would be:

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July employs rhetorical questions and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural uses anaphora.